Morning Tailgate: O-line Paved The Way

The 49ers offensive line provided protection for Colin Kaepernick and Co. on Sunday afternoon.

Even the largest men in the locker room can be forgotten, particularly when their quarterback throws for 412 yards, 208 of them credited to his top wide receiver.

But the 49ers offensive line deserves its due the morning after the team’s season-opening 34-28 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

“There is a reason why we added an extra guy,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said postgame of his defense line. “We have great respect for the 49ers’ offensive line.”

Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews and defensive end Johnny Jolly did each record a sack of Colin Kaepernick, but San Francisco’s signal-caller went virtually untouched from the pocket.

From left to right, tackle Joe Staley, guard Mike Iupati, center Jonathan Goodwin, guard Alex Boone and tackle Anthony Davis controlled the line of scrimmage, giving him plenty of time to polish up his three-touchdown game. Kaepernick's protection also allowed Anquan Boldin, who caught 13 passes in his organizational debut, and others to get down field and complete their routes.

It didn’t matter that the 49ers never really got Frank Gore and their running game going.

“They came out with a plan to stop the run and kudos to them for executing that game plan,” Staley said postgame. “For us, we have other answers. Obviously we got the ball moving through the air, got points on the board. And at the end of the day, it’s all about scoring one more point than they did. We’re just happy to come out with this win and move onto Seattle.”

For more storylines surrounding the team, check out this edition of Morning Tailgate links.